Barry Saunders is best known as the guitarist and vocalist for NZ musical institution the Warratahs. A new project sees lyrics from his songs interpreted as arresting works of art.
BARRY Saunders needs two places. He’s not sure why exactly, but it’s been the case for as long as he can remember.
Barry began his life in Taranaki, but his family relocated to Canterbury when he was 10.
“I feel like I’ve got two
childhood homes,” he says. “I’ve got songs for both places, I love them both.”
At the moment, he lives in both Wellington and Greytown.
“I love Wellington. It has a good pulse; it always has had, even in the days of six o’clock closing. But Greytown has a big open sky; it’s a good thinking place.”
Wellington also has its own song. Postcard is a tribute to the comings and goings of Cuba Street.
Growing up in rural New Zealand meant Barry spent a lot of time in solitude.
“I did have two younger sisters, but I grew up very much by myself. There aren’t a lot of people around in the country.”
Hints at his future career are present in his earliest memory.
“The first thing I can ever remember doing is singing. I was about five years old, singing Greenback Dollar at a school concert. The song has quite adult lyrics; it must’ve sounded very funny.”
Barry’s relationship with music is similar to that of Hoyt Axton’s central character in Greenback Dollar.
“I write music because I can’t help it. Some people can write for the times or the fashions but I’m just not one of them.”
Barry’s approach to songwriting is simple; sit back and let inspiration come.
“I don’t chase it too hard, that’s my thing. I let the ideas swill around. That’s why I need two places I guess. I need that space in my head so things can formulate. It’s such a nice process when things just happen.”
As Far as the Eye can See is a compilation of Barry’s music, due for release November 10.
Wellington curator Ron Epskamp has asked 14 artists to interpret the songs’ lyrics as paintings for his inaugural Music and Art Project.
“The two combined effortlessly,” Saunders says. “I couldn’t believe someone would want to do that. Sometimes you wonder if a song’s connected with anyone at all, then you realize it has and it’s such a great feeling.”
The artists have interpreted Barry’s lyrics in different ways.
“It’s amazing how close to the lyrics some are, and others are so far away! The painting for Rescue Me is so far from what I’d imagined. It was just a Wellington walking home song, but the painting is of me flying over Wellington with a guitar in my hand and no pants on,” he laughs.
One picture is a portrait of Barry himself.
“I always thought you needed a long military career to have portraits painted of you but obviously not.”
The paintings will be released in booklet form with the album and later as prints.
A compilation album can signal the end of a career but not for Barry.
“Sometimes I think about how there are more than six billion people in the world and they all have a different face. It’s the same with music. There are thousands of different songs made of the same three or four chords. It just baffles me.”
“I reckon I’ll do this ‘til the day I die. It’s what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Paintings from As Far as the Eye can See, Exhibitions Gallery, Featherston Street, November 11-14.